Does your horse only chew on the bit, or is he rolling his tongue around and over the bit?

Sadly, we put Sam in a bit for the first time since his teeth were floated and he is still screwing around with his tongue.

Our trainer was watching and did some checking and the goofball is bringing his tongue over the bit. Bit fit is proper. This is all behavior. It may have started from teeth, but now it is habit.

My trainer suggested we try him on a roller bit, so he has something to play with. But he also said they were harsher and he would ride him the first few times to make sure Sam responds well to it before putting me in the saddle.

Or, I stay with the hackamore.

Without turning this into a non-helpful thread to you, can you tell me if you believe or have considered if your horse is flipping his tongue over the bit?

The roller bit worked awesome today! I'm definitely going to look into a bit with keys as well. He is getting his teeth floated on Monday and I'm not sure if that will make any difference, but I guess we shall see. He loved playing with the bit today and having something in his mouth to focus on. My ride was so much more pleasant!

AQHsam- Our experiences sound very similar! We started with a bit, went to a hackamore, and now I'm back to the bit. My horse just loves stuff in his mouth. It can be a rope, metal, wood, food, ANYTHING! lol. He just loves to act like a baby and put stuff in his mouth. I know it's probably a bad habit, but as long as I'm careful with my stuff, it doesn't bug me too much. I don't like when he is more focused on grabbing a shank in his mouth than listening, but if we are just hanging out, then I don't find it to be a big deal. I'm just so glad that he had a bit to play with today.

AQHSam, the only way I can figure a roller bit would be harsher is if you are talking curb bits. Often, the roller on a curb bit is inside the port and that reduces the tongue relief a port offers. That, for some horses, makes it harsher, especially if they have a fat tongue or don't like tongue pressure (or are not properly prepared to carry a bit with no port). If the bit has a jointed mouth like a snaffle, then I don't see how rollers would make it harsher.

However, IME, whenever a horse is fighting to get their tongue over the bit and the initial cause has been taken care of, the only way to get them to stop is to put them in a bit where it is impossible for them to get their tongue over it; like a ported bit.

I rode a pony that was that way, he would fight with the snaffle constantly to get his tongue over it and then fight to get it back under, then start all over again. He was never quiet with a regular snaffle so I swapped it with a ported bit that had a solid mouth and about 5 minutes later, he was quiet and happy as could be.

Always remember that feeling of looking at a big, open country over the ears of a good horse, seeing a new trail unwind ahead of you, and that ever-spectacular view from the top of the ridge!!! Follow my training blog: http://robertsontraining.blogspot.com/

Thank you smrobs. Sam is 5 this year and has not really graduated to a curb bit. That may be the reason for the safety on part of my trainer. I'm sure his is a curb. I'm hoping we can give sam another lesson tomorrow night. I'll report back.

What happens if you keep them busy with something to do so they don't have time to mess with the bit all the time? Every time they get to playing with the bit get their feet moving. Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard. I would think every time they're playing they aren't paying attention anyway and you would want to change their focus back to you right?Posted via Mobile Device

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